Unusual Vandalism a Sign of the Times

Most election years, there’s some
collateral damage to political hoardings. But Kumeu has
suffered from an unusual, targeted kind of vandalism. None
of the many Party political signs have been vandalised, but
a harmless, arty ‘Vote for Dolphins’ sign appears to
have been deliberately destroyed within 24 hours of its
erection.

The
‘Vote for Dolphins’ sign, properly authorised and with
Council consent, was erected among party political signs at
the official Council sign site by the Huapai library.
Campaigners for the critically endangered Maui’s dolphin
(and the threatened Hector’s) are encouraging New
Zealanders to think of the dolphins when they vote.

Long
time dolphin advocate and Kumeu local, Christine Rose, says
with only 55 Maui’s and four other isolated subpopulations
of Hector’s, all at risk, all parties should be committed
to saving these dolphins. “But some Party policies are
definitely better than others”. “At the current rate,
Maui’s will become extinct, as will sub-species
populations of Hector’s in the South Island”. “We’re
encouraging people to vote for the dolphins this election.
Another three years of bad management could see Maui’s
become biologically extinct”.

Mrs Rose suspects someone
with a vengeance is behind the destruction of the Vote for
the Dolphins sign, given previous dolphin signs have
suffered a similar fate. “That takes some persistence, and
is probably someone quite local, with a specific axe to
grind, given none of the political signs, usually the target
of vandalism, have been touched”. “But our message is
too important to ignore. We’re encouraging New Zealanders
around the country to erect similar signs, to vote for the
parties with the most dolphin friendly policies, and we’ll
be replacing the sign that was destroyed, with bigger, more
secure signs, on State Highway 16”.

The Maui’s and
Hector’s Dolphin Education/Action Incorporated Society has
the aims of supporting awareness of Maui’s & Hector’s
dolphins, an improvement in their health and population
status, public education of Maui’s & Hector’s dolphins,
greater understanding and stewardship of the dolphins and to
foster links with the public and similar groups both in New
Zealand and overseas.

Maui’s & Hector’s dolphins are
the world’s smallest and rarest dolphin. They are found
only in New Zealand waters; they are an inshore species,
found within waters 100m deep and they are short lived and
slow breeding. All these factors make them particularly
vulnerable to human induced threats. Up until the 1970s
there were about 30,000 Hector’s & Maui’s, found around
New Zealand, but now those numbers have reduced to only
about 7000 Hector’s in four sub-populations around the
South Island, and between 48-69 Maui’s off the North
Island West
Coast.

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